Finding Happiness
by x311-silhouette
Summary: Nora Fleming never understood her life. Her father is an alcoholic and she hasn't come into contact with her mother in three years. She can't take it anymore and sets out to find what happiness really is. But can she find it before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

They say words can't hurt. I say that's not true. Words hurt just as much as sticks and stones, if not more. My family relationship is built upon them—words, I mean. When I see them, we don't have the usual exchanges. No, 'Are Aunt Suzie and Uncle Ted coming for Thanksgiving?', 'I haven't seen you in so long! You got so skinny!', 'I love you gramps. Have a good holiday!' None of that. Mostly, it's screaming. You can never get anything out of my father, because he's always got his mouth sucking on a beer bottle. My brother, Ryan, mumbles and stays in his room all the time. My little sister, Jodie, keeps herself secluded from us. She usually just parties, being as there's nothing else for her to do. We don't live with our mother. We haven't come in contact with her for three years. And then there's me. I'm the black sheep of the family—they don't want me. I usually hang with my friends during the day and wind up falling asleep on their couch for the night. Their parents don't mind. And if they do, they're wonderful at hiding it.

I'm not happy. Why should I be? I don't have the picture perfect family—the amazing cook stay at home mom, hardworking, lenient, lax, genius father, beautiful, precious, golden haired daughter, star student son. I don't have the fairytale life some people do.

As I carefully drag the HB2 pencil across the page, a word or two is faded from the tears falling from my sad Cinderella eyes. My story won't have any exclamation points or cutesy little smiley faces. I don't want to live like this anymore. I want my fairy Godmother to come and throw me in a magical pumpkin carriage. I want some prince to whisk me off my feet and ask me for my hand to dance. I want the little birds and mice to hold the train of my dress as I walk down the beautiful elegant steps of the castle. I want to be happy.

So, here it is—my quest for happiness. I traveled for so long to find it. In the beginning, I didn't even know what happiness was. I struggled to find it during the hard times, failing miserably. But after days, weeks, months, even years of for once experiencing love, fun, friends, I now understand.


	2. 1I Should've Been Gone Before

The doorknob turned, and in walked Jodie, looking mighty tired from her long hours of partying. She collapsed onto the old busted couch. I sat in the tattered arm chair. I had been waiting for her arrival. My family's screwed, and I don't get along with anybody but my sister.

"I'm going, Jodie." I said.

She didn't seem phased at all by the sudden statement. We kind of understood eachother. She knew I needed to go.

"Where to?" she didn't look up as she spoke. Neither did I.

"I don't know yet." I played with my eight rusting silver bangles. "I'm just gonna go."

Jodie looked up now, nodding.

"So you heading out now, or what?"

I pondered over that, questioning myself. I didn't have any means of transportation. I didn't even know where I was going to!

"I'll pack tonight. I'll be out by morning."

It was already very late. Well, early, actually. 1:30 AM. I was exhausted, but I wanted out of this trailer park. The sooner, the better. I went up to my room, leaving Jodie to think what she wanted.

After carefully packing my belongings into several suitcases, I fell asleep in my bed. It would be the last time I slept in it, and I was glad.

I woke in the morning and quickly threw on the clothes I had draped over the chair the night before. Dragging the bags behind me, I walked down the stairs for the last time. I let my playful fingers dance over the white lace curtains for the last time. I gave Jodie one last hug.

"Stay strong." I whispered in her ear. I walked past my father, not daring to say goodbye. I simply walked out the door and walked to the train station, boarding for the third stop in Oakland, California. After all those lasts, I would finally get to experiance some firsts.


	3. 2Oakland

The train ride was long--how long, I didn't know.

"The train stops here at Oakland, California. Please watch your step as you get off." a voice boomed through the many speakers.

So, once again, I wrapped my fingers around the rough handles of the ugly orange and brown plaid suitcases. I jumped the little gap between the train and the platform. For a moment I just stood there, right in the middle of hustling, bustling Californians and newcomers. A couple people shoved me along, and eventually I got the hint I needed to move. I sat down on a bench in the train station and took out my cell phone. I flipped it open and started dialing a number I had dialed so many times before. I had a friend--one of few--who lived in Oakland. She'd always been there for me. She picked up the phone and I wasn't sure what to say. Finally, I settled on simply coming out with it.

"I need a place to stay."

For a minute, Lizzie didn't say anything.

"Nora? Is that you? Oh, God, Nora. What are you up to?"

I had forgotten that I hadn't spoken to her for six months. She was married now.

"I left. I left the house. Listen, Liz, I can't live there anymore. It's too much."

Again she paused. "Where are you? I'll pick you up."

"The train station."

Ten minutes later, Lizzie pulled up in a blue lebaron. She stepped out, and when I looked at her, I didn't see Lizzie. My Lizzie was a party animal, dancing on tables and bobbing her head to Stevie Knicks. This Lizzie looked like a librarian attacked her. Her neat brown hair was pinned in a bun on her head. The high waisted black skirt hugged her hips, accentuating her slim figure well. The large buckle belt lay on her stomach. I could tell the while ruffled collar shirt had been newly ironed only minutes before. I stepped in the car and, naturally, we didn't say anything. Liz started the car and we drove to the house.

"Thanks, Lizzie. You know I wouldn't ask you for something like this unless it was really important." I said. I thought she deserved to know I probably wouldn't be asking for this in the future.

Her hands calmly gripping the steering wheel, she looked at me and smiled. "I know."


	4. 3Making Amends

It was a quick ride to her house, and I was glad. The train ride was long and I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. I unloaded the luggage and we walked up the few steps to her beach house. Liz took out a house key and opened the door. I stepped inside and looked around. It was a very soothing atmosphere; the living room set with a soft tan color. I peered into the bathroom. The shower curtain was a pale blue with sprinkles of seashells on it. The soap dispenser had baby turtles swimming on it.

"Jeff's not here yet. He's at work. Did I ever tell you what he does?"

I shook my head in response to Liz while I scoped out the house. She didn't realize I wasn't listening, but that's how she's always been. She'll talk for hours on end, regardless of whether or not anyone's listening.

"Well, he's a journalist. Last week he got the cover story of the Oakland Chronicles!" she continued.

"That's great!" I said, because it really was. Good for Jeff. But I wasn't all that interested in what Jeff did. "What do you do, Lizzie?" I asked, tracing the meticulous design on the kitchen cabinet.

She paused. "I'm a waitress. At the local diner. Betty's. It's a nice place, really. They pay well, too." Her voice was soft and I knew she was hesitant to tell me.

Lizzie had watched her mother get murdered at a diner back in Washington. Her mother, Patricia, was waitressing tables one night and Liz came to help. As Patricia scribbled down the orders of a friendly elderly couple, a man shot her. Liz tried to warn her. She watched her mother fall slowly to the ground, lifeless and cold.

She vowed never to step into a diner again.

I didn't know what to say when Liz told me about her new job, so I said, "That's nice, Liz. Really nice." I even offered up a comforting smile. Something I hadn't done for too long.

"Well," she said, "I'll get you set up in the room upstairs."

So we walked up the winding staircase, and waited for Jeff to get home. Liz didn't know how to tell him they had a new addition to the family for a few days, so we decided to let him see for himself.


	5. 4Words Unspoken

Jeff didn't get home until an hour or two after I had arrived. I wasn't really watching the time. Well, when he walked through those large double doors, he had this look on his face--as though he had just seen a ghost, which of course offended me. I wasn't bad looking. I just wasn't gorgeous. In fact, I was kind of plain.

I had Liv Tyler lips. Big and pouty. My hair was strawberry blonde. Probably the one thing I had inherited from my mother, Andrea. That and my habit of running away when I couldn't deal with the pain. My hair lay limp on my head, almost waist length. My eyes were an emerald green. I was of average height, probably 5'8". I was thin, too. Not Keira Knightly thin. Like actual average woman thin. You see, I didn't believe in all this supermodel stuff. You don't need to be 6'2" and a size 0 to be beautiful. And that's probably one thing I actually like about America. We're not all the same, and that's what makes us each an individual. We can control our own minds and do what we want with our own bodies. We're not required to do what's asked of us. We can bend the rules; we can tell a few little white lies. No one can send us to jail for being ourselves. If it was against the law to be ourselves, everyone would be in the slammer for eternity. We can't change who we are for someone. We are who we are and nothing else.

Well, like I said, Jeff was surprised


	6. 5Enchante

"Hey, hunni!" Lizzie stood up to welcome Jeff back. "How was work?"

His mouth was open as if to say something, but no words came out. He just pointed to me, as if I should know what to say. Liz saw the tension between the three of us, and spoke up, wringing her hands, nervously.

"Jeff, this is Nora. You remember her, don't you? She was at the wedding."

I couldn't let Liz fight this battle alone, so I stood up and shook Jeff's hand.

"I had to leave early. I didn't stay for the reception."

There was a moment of silence, and then Jeff spoke, too.

"You caught the bouquet. I remember you!"

His hostile behavior subsided, and he smiled. I did, too.

For an hour that night, the three of us sat around and chatted. Jeff was a really nice guy, and he and Lizzie seemed to be happy, which of course made me happy.

I went to sleep that night, thinking of going home. But I didn't dare.


	7. 6On the Road

I woke up early in the morning to call for hotel availability that night. I spoke quietly, being sure not to wake Jeff or Liz. I waited until they woke up to thank them for letting me stay under their roof.

"Are you sure you want to leave now?" Lizzie asked. "You just got here! And I miss talking to you." she argued.

"Oh, Liz. This is all I've ever wanted. To travel. I want to make sure I see it all." I said.

"Can we at least make you some breakfast?"

I waved the offer away, thanked them once again, and walked out the door.

I strolled all my luggage to the train station. I took a second to breathe in the fresh California air, and then stepped onto the stuffy train. Soon, I'd be getting off in Elko, Nevada.


End file.
